Month: January 2018

After selling my first company, it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do next in life. I considered e-commerce, as well as a couple of other things, but nothing stuck. Those things didn’t excite me enough to hold my attention. So I started to really think about what I enjoy. Both public speaking and investing in the dreams of others came to mind. Then I had my “aha” moment: I’ll start doing motivational speaking! I decided to sit on the idea for a couple of weeks and told myself that if I still wanted to do it, I would.

See, purpose is found in that place where passion meets fulfillment. And it’s always best to give yourself time to determine if what you decide is actually something you want to do. That’s important because you won’t be able to sustain enough interest to put in the necessary work if not. If you know people who constantly start and then quit business after business, this is the issue. They’ve committed to something and didn’t discover that they didn’t want to do it until they were already doing it. Save yourself a ton of time, money and resources by figuring out what it is that ignites your fire.

If you’re at a stage where you haven’t even found anything yet that you particularly enjoy, the only way is to try a bunch of different things. Get out and collect new experiences. Take some classes, join networking groups, learn to play an instrument, read up on up-and-coming industries, join some recreational sports leagues, just take every opportunity to develop fresh skills and meet new people. In doing this, you’ll learn a lot about yourself.

Think about what you really find joy in doing, and then consider the opportunities that exist within that circle. For instance, if you love animals, opportunities would include becoming a veterinarian, starting a dog grooming business or opening a pet store. Enjoy giving advice and helping others work through situations? Look into becoming a life coach or professional mentor.

Once you discover something you love to do that offers opportunities of interest, hold on to it. Start the business in your mind; think about how you would move forward. And two weeks later, if you haven’t been able to stop thinking about it, get to work! If you’ve completely forgotten about it, repeat the steps with your next idea. Better to take the time to find “that thing” than to waste it over, and over, and over again.

You know your purpose when it comes to you. There is a profound feeling of “this is what I am meant to do,” and doing it makes you feel more alive than anything else you’ve done. Some people don’t need a sense of purpose, and that’s ok too. But if you’re searching for yours, don’t stop. It’s out there.

It’s true, all the sayings about happiness being an inside job and something you don’t find, but rather create. If it were easy everyone would do it though, right? Who doesn’t want to be happy? One thing is certain, if you attach your sense of happiness to other people and things, it will always be temporary. Here are a few suggestions to help you cultivate a culture of happiness within.

1. Stay away from toxic situations
It is impossible to be happy when constantly surrounded by negativity. Simple as that. You can’t continue to engage with situations or people that are bad for your mental and emotional well-being. Doesn’t matter who it is. Some people you may have to love from afar.

2. Learn yourself
Often, we don’t know ourselves well enough to even understand what makes us happy. We allow others to define who we are, and we just like whatever they like. Figure out what makes you tick and gives you a sense of fulfillment, independent of anyone else.

3. Be true to yourself
Once you’ve learned yourself, be authentically the person that you have discovered. If your friends like to do things you don’t enjoy or agree with, find new friends. If you’re going to school for something that your parents want you to study and not a subject that you’re actually interested in, change your major. Living a life that contrasts with who you really are will inevitably create inner turmoil, and happiness cannot exist in this environment.

4. Learn to meditate
Meditation does not have to be practiced in the traditional sense, though there are many different methods available and certainly one that would work for you. But meditation can be anything that calms you and brings you inner peace, which is directly related to happiness. Find an activity that helps you be present, thinking of nothing and just existing in that space. Some people build model airplanes, paint, or do yoga. Having something that takes you away from the cares of the world, even if for just a few moments, will go a long way to helping you maintain a sense of joy.

5. Be good to yourself
Treat yourself to things that you enjoy. Buy that new pair of shoes. Chase your dreams. Visit places you’ve always wanted to see. If you’re good to yourself, you’ll feel good about yourself and be less inclined to accept poor treatment from others.

Too much of anything can be detrimental as it means that something is being neglected. It’s important to maintain balance in your life or even a good thing can quickly turn bad. I get the importance of hustling. I’m a go-getter myself. Just don’t forget to come up for air.
Here are some tips:

1. Keep a schedule
This will help ensure that you are not overextending yourself and leave room for other things, or even to just do nothing. Keep your engagements in a calendar and look at it before making additional plans. If not, you will find yourself double-booked and having to break commitments, as well as overbooked and likely exhausted.

2. Set a routine
It’s difficult to maintain balance without properly managing your time. Setting a routine to follow in the morning or at night can help. For instance, if you want to make sure you read one chapter of a book every day, make it a part of your routine. Say that every morning you’re going to brush your teeth, make your coffee and then read. This way you won’t forget. Deviating from your routine should be a very rare occurrence, or it defeats the purpose.

3. Make effective use of your time
When you’re with family or friends, focus on them and what you guys are doing. When you’re working, focus on the task at hand. You’ll feel better about alternating between the two when you know you’ve given each quality time.

4. Get comfortable saying “no”
You can’t do everything that people ask of you. Learn to tell them that you are unavailable or uninterested; especially if it’s not something you truly want to do. Save your time for the places where it is best spent.